Mixing device for oil tanks with attachably connected power unit



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MIXING DEVICE} FOR OIL TANKS WITH ATTACHABLY CONNECTED POWER UNIT Filed Feb. 9, 1959 United States Patent 3,022,052 MDKING DEVICE FOR OIL TANKS WITH ATTACH- Al 3LY CONNECTED POWER UNIT 01115 O. Smith, Wichita Falls, Tex., assignor to Smith Oil Agitator Company, a corporation of Texas Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 791,946 3 Claims. (Cl. 259110) This invention relates to improvements in oil and emulsion mixers for tanks and more particularly to a mixer to be installed within a tank to which a portable power unit may be readily attached for agitating bottom setthugs and crude oil within the tank, which power unit may be readily and quickly detached from the mixer unit for use on other tanks having like mixer unitsv attached thereto.

In the production of crude oil, portions of the oil frequently contain emulsions, which emulsions comprise oil and water, or oil, water and a third element, such as gas, air, or mud or the like. Oil containing such emulsions, above a certain percent, is unacceptable to companies purchasing crude oil. Therefore, before the oil can be marketed, the foreign elements, which are mixed with the oil, must be removed therefrom.

Various methods have been proposed heretofore for removing foreign substances from crude oil, such as the application of heat, the addition of chemicals, and agitation. It has been found, however, that circulating the oil containing the emulsions causes much of the emulsion to be broken down, thereby giving up clean oil, and by adding a small amount of chemical treating material, and fur er agitating or rolling the emulsions, which are known as bottom settlings or emulsions, to be substantially eliminated, as the rolling of the oil brings about the separation of the oil from the other components, with the foreign matter, such as salt water, and the like, being drawn off through a drain valve, until only clean oil is present.

The agitation or rolling of the bottom settlings has been common heretofore, but usually involved the use of long-handled paddles, the handle often being as much as ten or twelve feet in length, so as to extend from the top to the bottom of the tank. To operate such a paddle by hand, required great manual effort and was very time consuming, furthermore, the owner of the oil was not usually present during the rolling operation, therefore the work was not always done in a manner to produce the desired results, and frequently good oil was drained off into the slush pit and burned. Which meant the loss of oil and therefore the money for which it might have been sold. In order to eliminate the manual rolling of the contents of a tank, the present device has been produced.

The present device involves two principal elements. one a turbo-mixer, which is so constructed that it may be attached to any tank, as at the cleanout manhole, and remains in the tank at all times; and the second component, which is a portable power unit which may be complementally attached to and detached from the tank, and which may be connected in driving relation to the turbopropeller mixer unit, thereby enabling one portable power unit to serve many tanks, thereby minimizing the cost of rolling the contents of the tank, and at the same time the etliciency in handling the reduction of bottom settlings and emulsions in the oil is increased.

The installation of a turbo-mixer unit, which can be attachably connected to a tank through a manhole cover, is relatively inexpensive, however, the power unit, such as a gasoline engine, electric motor, or the like, for driving the turbo-mixer unit, is relatively expensive. The complete power unit, when properly equipped and installed on a base, costs in excess of $100.00. Therefore, by providing a power unit which may be readily connected to the $322,052 Patented Feb. 20, 1962 tank in driving relation to the turbo-mixer, without tools and without delay, it is possible for one man to roll the emulsion and oils in several tanks in a short period of time and with a minimum of physical effort, and therefore at a fraction of the cost that would be involved if manual methods were employed.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which will circulate the settlings in the bottom portion of a tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a turbomixer for mixing and agitating liquids and emulsions in the bottom of a tank, which mixer is driven from the exterior of the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable power unit for a turbo-propeller mixer which may be readily attached to or detached from the tank, so that the propeller of the respective tanks may be selectively driven thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism for a turbo-mixer which will prevent unauthorized circulation of the emulsions and oils by the turbo-propeller. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a' mechanism for interlocking the power unit with the tank in such manner as to enable positive alignment between the power unit and the propeller driving mechanism of the mixer, when the power unit is placed in driving position.

With these objects in mind and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, fragmentary, elevational view of a portion of a tank, with parts broken away and shown in section, and showing a turbo-propeller mixer unit in position to extend through the manhole plate into the tank, and showing a portable power unit attachably connected to said tank so as to be in driving relation with said turbo-propeller unit;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a turbo-propeller mixing unit with a power unit connected thereto in a manner to be applied to an oil tank, and showing a fragmentary portion of the oil tank, with the arrows indicating the approximate course the fluids and emulsions take as they are circulated;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view through the propeller shaft housing, and through the manhole cover plate of a tank, with parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view through a portion of the manhole cover plate, and showing a lock bar attached thereto and interengaging with the base of the power unit; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the power unit shown apart from the tank and showing the engine in dashed outline.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a tank for crude oil which is an upright cylindrical tank and has a cleanout opening or manhole in the lower portion thereof, which manhole is covered by a manhole cover plate 2, which may be secured to the tank, as by bolts 4, screw threads or the like. The manhole cover plate 2 is secured to a complementary flange, which surrounds the manhole, by means of bolts 4.

A propeller shaft housing 6 passes through the manhole cover plate 2 and is secured in tight fitting relation therewith as by welding, as indicated at 8. The propeller shaft housing 6 extends into the tank 1 a substantial distance, and has a bearing or bushing 10 fitted in the inner end thereof, so as to form a radial bearing for the propeller shaft 12'and a thrust bearing for propeller 14, which shaft 12 is journaled in the bearing and has the propeller 14 mounted thereon. A set collar or wear plate 16 is provided intermediate the hub of propeller 14 and the end of the bearing 16, as will best be seen in FIG. 5. The set collar 16 is secured to shaft 12 by set screw 18, as will best been seen in FIG. 3. The shaft 12 is preferably threaded at its inner end to threadably receive a nut 20, which nut maintains propeller 14 in fixed relation with respect thereto. After assembling the propeller 14 on shaft 12, a nut 26 is screw-threaded onto shaft 12 so as to be in binding engagement with the hub of propeller 14. After the nut 26 is screw threaded in place, a hole is drilled through the nut and through the shaft. A safety, lock pin 22 is passed through the hole to lock the nut 26 in fixed relation with respect to shaft 12.

The outer end of the propeller shaft housing. 6 has a radial bearing 24 pressed thereinto, which bearing, 24 also serves as the inner end of a stufiing box for receiving packing material 26 thereinto. The outer'end of the propeller shaft housing 6 has a gland 28 fitted thereinto, which gland is conventional in structure and may be screwthreaded into interengagement with the screwthreads in the outer end of propeller shaft housing 6. The outer end of shaft 12 is key-seated to receive a key 30, which key is in complementary engagement with a key-way in the hub of .V-belt pulley 32, which pulley preferably has an inwardly extending hub 34 which is provided with a set screw 36 therein to bindingly engage the pulley 32 with the shaft 12. A slot 38 is provided in one of the spokes of pulley 32, which slot is adapted to complementary register with a slot 40 in an upstanding lug 42, which lug 42 is secured to housing 6, as by welding or the like. V

A chain 43 is attached to propeller shaft housing 6 and to an elongated bar 44, which bar 44 is adapted to pass through slots 4%) and 38, in the lug 42 and pulley 32,, respectively, with the head 46 of the bar being in abutting passed through a hole 50 inrbar 44, when the bar is in place, as shown in FIG. 3, which prevents unauthorized operation of the turbo-propeller 14. In this manner the use of the mixer can be regulatedby the purchasers of the oil.

The inner end of the propeller shaft housing 61s braced by an angularly disposed brace 52 and angularly disposed brace 54, so as to prevent vibration to the housing. A plate member 56 is welded to the lower side of propeller shaft housing 6, exterior of the. manhole. cover plate member 2, and an end of the plate 56 is also welded to the manhole cover plate 2 to provide a support for the power unit which is designated generally at 58.

The portable power units designated generally at 58 comprises a base member 613 having legs 62 thereunder at one end. A pair of rods 64 are secured to the'upper face of base member 60 at the end opposite the legS' 62. The rods 64 extend outward from the base member 60 and are preferably curved slightly upward to enable ready engagement of the rods 64 with complementary holes 66 which are formed in plate member 56, which plate 56 is welded. on the'bottom of housing 6 and extends downward therefrom. The plate member 56 -is also secured, as by welding, along the outer face of plate 2. A further hole 68 is provided. through a side of base member 60 which is adjacent manhole cover plate 2, when the power unit is mounted on the tank, so that when rods 64 on the base member 69 interengage with holes 66 in plate member 56, and with'a belt 70 surrounding pulley 32 on shaft 12 and a pulley 72 on an engine 74, which engine is mounted on base member 69, the rods 64 will guide the base member 60 downward so that the hole 68 in base member 69 will interengage an upstanding rod 76, which is welded or otherwise secured to manhole relation with lug 42. A lock or seal 48 is adapted to be coverplate 2. The rod 76 is of such configuration as to complementally engage in the hole 68 to draw the end of base member into close fitting relation with downwardly extending plate member 56, and with the engine 74 adjusted on base member 60 so as to give a proper center distance between pulleys 32 and 72, the engine 74 will be driving relation with pulley 32, propeller shaft 12 and'propeller 14.

Once the engine 74 is adjusted to give the correct center distance between the pulleys 32 and 72, by the adjustment of bolts 78, which bolts interengage the engine base and pass through slots 80 in base member 60, no further adjustment of the engine on the base member 60 will be needed so long as the belt 72 does not stretch. The power unit 58, as-shown in FIG. 6, when once adjusted may be moved from tank to tank and readily hooked in place on the tank and connected in driving relation with the turbo-mixer to perform the necessary rolling action to the contents of the tank, and for admixing of treating chemicals therewith in a minimum of time. A handle 82 has been provided on base 60 to facilitate the moving of the power unit 53 from tank to tank.

It is preferable to have the propeller shaft housing 6 lined with a non-corrosive material 34, which material may be in the form of cement or plastic, as is well known in the art of oil production.- A hole 86 is provided in the lower side of propeller shaft housing 6 to admit oil, from the tank, into the housing so as to lubricate bearings 16 and 24, as well as packing material 26, and packing gland 28 of the stufling box. In this manner no attention need be paid to lubricating the unit within the tank, as each time the water is drained from the lower portion of the tank, the housing will be drained, and as the oil rises above the water within the "bottom of the tank, the oil will first flow into the housing 6 to be entrapped therein to furnish the necessary lubrication for the wearing parts of the mixer unit which are within the housing 6.

Operation Upon the installation of the present device on a tank, the propeller shaft housing 6, complete with propeller shaft 12 and propeller 14, stufilng box and gland assembly 26 and 28, and pulley 32 are'mounted on manhole cover plate 2, with the angle of the propeller being acute with respect to a radial line passing through the center of the tank, which angle is about fifteen degrees. This propeller assembly can be installed on the tank, preferably at the place of manufacture, but the assembly can be installed in the field, merely by replacing the standard manhole cover plate, with which the tank .was originally provided, with a similar manhole coverplate in which the present unit has been installed.

With the mixer units installed in all the tanks in which it is desired to have them installed, it is then necessary only to take the power unit, indicated at 53, and place the outwardly extending, upwardly curved rods 64 in complementary holes 66in plate member 56, then by lowering the outer end ofbase 60, the hole 68, on the inner st'de of base member 69, will come into register with upstanding rod 76, which ispointed and preferably curved in a slight arc, comparable to the radius of the distance between the inner end of base member 60 and the upstanding rod 76. The upper end of the rod .76 urges the inner end of base 66 into close fitting relation with plate member 56. Before the base member 60 is hinged downward into place, the belt 70 is placed on pulleys 32 and 72, then when the legs 62, on base member 68, come to rest on the surface therebelow, the belt 76 will be of the correct tightness, whereupon, the prime mover 74, such as a gasoline engine, an electric motor or the like, is started and the propeller shaft 12 and propeller 14 are driven for the desired length. of time to circulate the oil and emulsions to accomplish the desired result of mixing the oil. and emulsions and/ or mixing a treating agent with the contents of the tank so as to cause the water and other foreign elements to settle out, thereby releasing clean oil which is of pipeline quality.

After the oil has been treated for the desired length of time, the power unit 58 may be disconnected, by hinging the outer end upward, which will slacken belt 70. The power unit may then be moved, by means of handle 82, to another tank, and connected in driving relation with the mixer unit thereon, to perform a similar treating action.

After a tank has been treated, a bar 44 is placed through slot 4% in lug 42 and slot 38 in a spoke of pulley 32, whereupon, a lock or seal 48 is placed through hole 50 in bar 44, which prevents further or unwarranted mixing, before the oil is run by the pipe line company.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters latent is:

1. A mixing device comprising a cylindrical tank, the wall of said cylindrical tank having an opening formed in the lower portion thereof, a wall section fitted exteriorly of said cylindrical tank in position to close said opening therein, said wall section having a hole formed therein, means attachably securing said Wall section to said tank in fluid tight relation, a shaft extending into said tank through said hole in said wall section, mixing means secured to said shaft on the inner end thereof, said opening in said tank being of a size to receive said mixing means, a housing secured to said wall section and having an end thereof extending outward therefrom and surrounding said shaft, means forming a fluid tight seal between said shaft and said housing, a support plate secured to said housing, said support plate having at least one hole formed therein, a base, power drive means mounted on and secured to said base, at least one bar secured to an end of said base, which bar registers with said hole in said sup port plate to support one end of said base on said support plate when said power drive means is fitted in driving relation with said shaft, said base having a hole formed in a side thereof, a second bar, which second bar is secured to said wall section and registers with said hole in said base when said power means is in driving relation with said shaft, which bars retain said base against lateral and longitudinal movement with respect to said support plate and said wall section, and said power drive means being connected in driving relation with said shaft.

2. A mixing device comprising a cylindrical tank, the wall of said cylindrical tank having an opening formed in the lower portion thereof, a wall section titted exteriorly of said cylindrical tank in position to close said opening therein, said wall section having a hole formed therein, means attachably securing said wall section to said tank in fluid tight relation, a shaft extending into said tank through said hole in said wall section, mixing means secured to said shaft on the inner end thereof, said opening in said tank being of a size to receive said mixing means, a housing secured to said Wall section and having an end thereof extending outward therefrom and surrounding said shaft, means forming a fluid tight seal between said shaft and said housing, a support plate secured to said housing, said plate having apertures formed therein a spaced distance outward from said housing, a base, power drive means mounted on and secured to said base, complementary means mounted on an end of said base and complementally engaging said apertures in said support plate when said base is fitted in abutting relation therewith, a drive element fitted on said power drive means, a driven element fitted on the outwardly extending portion of said shaft which is mounted within said housing, and endless transmission means surrounding said drive and said driven element to form a driving connection therebetween.

3. A mixing device comprising a tank wall section, an opening formed in said wall section, a shaft extending through said opening formed in said tank wall section, a housing surrounding said shaft, a plate member secured to said housing, bearings journaling said shaft in said housing, mixing means secured to said shaft on one side of said wall section, means forming a fluid tight seal between said housing and said shaft, a base member, said base member and said plate member being interconnected by hole and pin means, one oi said members having at least one hole means formed therein, at least one pin means positioned on the other of said members, which hole means complementally receives said pin means to interconnect said base member and said plate member on said housing at a point below said housing to prever lateral movement of said base member with respect to said housing, power drive means mounted on and secured to said base member, a pulley mounted on said power drive means, a pulley mounted on said first mentioned shaft, an endless transmission belt surrounding said pulleys in driving relation, with said pin means and hole means which interconnect said base member and said plate member on said housing presenting a fulcrum to maintain said belt taut by the weight of said base member and said power means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,270,058 Sager June l8, 1918 1,404,745 Donaver Jan. 31, 1922 1,565,661 Lomax Dec. 15, 1925 2,089,642 Craddock Aug. 10, 1937 2,096,597 Seabrooks Oct. 19, 1937 2,131,647 Strege Sept. 27, 1938 2,258,921 Young et a1 Oct. 14, 1941 2,287,591 Adams June 23, 1942 2,323,153 Pilson June 29, 1943 2,360,145 Lansing Oct. 10, 1944 2,635,473 Rampe Apr. 21, 1953 2,828,113 Knibb Mar. 25, 1958 2,851,892 Parkinson et a1. Sept. 16, 1958 

